Two piece hospital gown

ABSTRACT

An improved disposable two-piece hospital gown which may be inexpensively produced from sheets of cloth or paper material. The blouse is formed of a single sheet of material, initially of rectangular shape that is cut and folded, with adhesive or Valcro bands serving to fasten the sides of the blouse together. The material cut out of the neck section of the blouse remains attached to the front of the blouse and serves as a bib. The pants section of the gown is formed of two separate sheets of rectangular material that are identically cut and notched, so as to fasten together in the crotch section of the pants, with Velcro straps or adhesive means employed to fasten the sides of the pants together.

United States Patent [191 Ramirez [451 Dec. 24, 1974 TWO PIECE HOSPITALGOWN [21] Appl. No.: 361,358

[52] U.S. II 2/114, 2/DIG. 7, 2/83 [51] Int. Cl A4ld 9/00 [58] Field ofSearch 2/49 R, 71, 72, 74, 77,

2/78 B, 79, 83, 106, 114, DIG. 7

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,504,932 8/1924 Boehmer2/DIG. 7

2,520,026 8/1950 Beitchman 2/83 X 2,703,404 3/1955 Lawson 2/79 2,782,4202/1957 Barager r 2/49 R 3,144,659 8/1964 Matthews... 2/83 3,229,305l/1966 Nevitt 2/114 Primary ExaminerWerner H. Schroeder Attorney, Agent,or FirmHoward I. Podell [57] I ABSTRACT An improved disposable two-piecehospital gown which may be inexpensively produced from sheets of clothor paper material. The blouse is formed of a single sheet of material,initially of rectangular shape that is cut and folded, with adhesive orValcro bands serving to fasten the sides of the blouse together. Thematerial cut out of the neck section of the blouse remains attached tothe front of the blouse and serves as a bib. The pants section of thegown is formed of two separate sheets of rectangular material that areidentically cut and notched, so as to fasten together in the crotchsection of the pants, with Velcro straps or adhesive means employed tofasten the sides of the pants together.

2 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures Il I 252 741.1,: I I0 I i l 2512 l I I l I I1 TWO PIECE HOSPITAL GOWN SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION My invention relatesto a two-piece disposable hospital dressing gown which may beinexpensively constructed of cloth or paper sheet material. Theadvantage of my invention is that the simplicity, and inexpensiveconstruction of the gown eliminate the costly laundry expenses ofconventional hospital gowns.

A further advantage of my invention is that the twopiece gown may bereadily fastened about or removed from a patient, and particularly froma patient who may be physically disabled.

A further advantage of my invention is that the inexpensiveness of thematerials and of the construction employed permit for more frequentchanging of the hospital gowns of patients, when they have becomesoiled.

The two-piece hospital gown of this invention may be made in a varietyof sizes to fit patients of various ages. The blouse section of the gownis formed of a single sheet of rectangular proportions of cloth or papermaterial that is precut so that when the blouse section is suitablyfolded, the sides may be strapped about each other by means of adhesivestraps, Velcro self-adhering straps, or by other simple fastening means.The material that is cut out of the neck section of the blouse remainsattached to the upper forward section of the blouse so as to serve as abib.

The pants section of the blouse is formed of two rectangular sheetsections of material that are cut and notched so as to interlock witheach other about the crotch section of the pants, with each of the twosections wrapping around one leg of the wearer and fastened in place byadhesive straps, Velcro straps or other simple fastening means.

The shape of the blouse and of the pants eliminates all waste ofmaterial when the sections are formed initially from rectangular shapedsheets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The objects and features of theinvention may be understood with reference to the following detaileddescription of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, takentogether with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of two sheets of material, indicating the cut andfold lines of the sheets prior to their being formed into the pants ofthis invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the two sections making up thepants, in the partially folded condition prior to being joined together;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the two sections making up the pants,initially attached to each other;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the finished pants section of the gown;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a sheet of material showingthe cut and fold lines prior to being formed into a blouse section;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the blouse section partiallyfolded so as to become a blouse section; and

FIG. 7 is the finished blouse section of the gown.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Turning now descriptively to thedrawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elementsthroughout the several views, FIGS. 1-4 illustrate the pants 10 of thegown, which as shown in FIG. 3, is made of two similar shaped sections20L and 20R, each of which is cut and folded from a single sheet 15 asshown in FIG. 1.

For ease in describing the design, the terms up and down, horizontal andvertical, right and left will be employed to designate positions whenthe sheet 15 has been formed into a pants leg that is oriented in thenormal position in which the pants are worn by a person who is standingup.

FIG. 1 shows a view of the sheet of material 15 from which a singlepants leg 20 is formed. The FIG. 1 is viewed from the inside surface ofthe pants leg into which it will be shaped. Sheet 15, which may be ofpaper or of cloth material, or may be also formed of a multi-layer orcomposite material, is of general rectangular proportions with a topedge 12 and a bottom edge 11 being of equal length, and both beinglonger than the equal length sides 26 and 25.

Three vertical fold lines 16, 18 and 19 are marked to separate specificsections 51, 52, 53 and 54 of sheet 15, but it is to be understood thatthe sheet 15 after being cut, as described below, is folded in a generalcircular fashion so that these fold lines 16, 18 and 19 do not representactual creases in the final pants leg 20. Sheet 15 is cut along solidline 14 and curved line 22 so as to form a shaped tab 55, which risesabove a horizontal fold line 17. Curved cutting line 22 joins verticalcut line 14. The cut line 13, 14 and 22 starts at the midsection of thesheet 15 at the top edge 12 and is initially curved along out line 13 atan obtuse angle to edge 12, but then forms vertical cut line 14 whichleads vertically to join curved out line 22 in the general midsection ofthe sheet 15. Cut line 22, out line 14 and cut line 13 are continuousand basically permit folding a tab section 57 about the upper section ofvertical fold line 16, and the folding of a tab 55 about horizontal foldline 17, but these out lines do not separate the sheet 15 which remainsone continuous section, except where so cut.

Tab section 57 terminates at its lower outer extremity in a tab 56 withthe vertical edge of tab 56 being denoted by numeral 74 and with thevertical edge of the material previously adjacent to tab 56 beingdenoted by numeral 64 in FIG. 1. The cut line 13, 14 and 22 in thematerial may be more generally described as a vertical cut taken at themiddle of the upper edge 12 and running more than half of the width ofthe sheet in a vertical direction and then curving to form a U-shapedcut 22 which rises vertically up towards the top edge for a distance toagain gradually curve in the form of an inverted U with cut 22continuing vertically towards the bottom edge 11 of the sheet toterminate at the same distance from the bottom of edge 11 is thedistance of the joint of cut 22 with cut 14.

As shown in FIG. 2, two identical sections of cut sheets 15 areassembled together with tab 55 of each sheet bent away from the convexexterior surface of the sheets when they are curved so as to each form aleg.

As shown in FIG. 3, each of the two separate sections are folded uponthemselves so as to become the individual leg members 20L and 20R of thepants 20. The overlapping edge sections may be held together by adhesivetapes 31 and 32 at the rear of pants leg 20L and adhesive strips 33 and34 at the rear of pants leg 20R,

with additional adhesive strips 35 being employed to join the two pantslegs together in the assembled condition. Alternately, the edges of eachpants leg, and the joints between the two pants legs, may be held inplace by sheets of Velcro material where one section of a Velcromaterial is fastened to one of the pieces to be joined together and themating section of the Velcro material is fastened to the other sectionthat is to be joined to the first, with the Velcro material being formedin the shape of protruding hooks and eyes so that the mating pieces ofVelcro grip each other, but may be readily separated when desired.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, tab section 55R is folded over tab section55L, in the assembled mode, so as to form the bottom of the crotchsection of the pants 20. Edge 64L serves as an openable fly with thetape 35 fastening the edges 64L over the front section of pants leg R.Each pants leg 20L and 20R is separately folded about itself, with onepants leg 20L fastened by section 54L and edge folded over section 51Land edge 26 and maintained in place by external tapes 31 and 32 fastenedto the external surfaces of the sheet. Pants leg 20R is folded aboutitself, with section 51 and edge 26 being on the outside of section 54and edge 25 and similarly held in place by external adhesive strips 33and 34 or by other fastening means. Tab 55L of pants leg 20L may befolded inside of the formed pants leg 20L, with tab 55R of pants leg 20Rfolded about fold line 17R externally of the pants leg 20R so that whenthe two pants legs are assembled together, tab 55R is folded over tab55L.

The front section 57R of pants leg 20R, fits inside of the front section53L of pants leg 20L and serves as a reinforcement to the front of theassembled pants leg 20. The back section 57L of pants leg 20L fitsinside of the back section 53R of pants leg 20R to serve asreinforcement in the back area of the finished pants 20. Back section53R of pants leg 20R may be taped over and fastened to back section 51Lof pants leg 20L.

Edge section 64L which was formed by cut line 14 serves as an openablefly when the adhesive strap 35L fastening the two front sectionstogether is loosened.

Once the two sections 20L and 20R have been assembled together, they maybe handled as a unit prior to being worn, and it is to be noted thatthere is no waste material when each pants leg is formed of a rectangular sheet of material of the appropriate size.

The blouse 80 is similarly formed from a rectangular sheet of materialwith a central section 82 of generally eliptical shape cut from thematerial along its periphery so as to form a bib section 81. Bib section81 remains attached by a small fold line 88 which interrupts the cutline 86 leaving an opening 82 to serve as the: neck section of theblouse 80. Each shoulder section 90 of the blouse is folded and creasedso as to form a tab about the shoulder. Adjacent to each shoulder tabs,the material is cut from the outer edges towards the creased tab to joina perpendicular cut line so as to form a finger member 91 which may befastened to the blouse by means of adhesive bands 35 so as to hold thecreased tabs 90 in place. The sides 95 of the blouse are fastened overeach other by tape sections 35.

Since obvious changes may be made in the specific embodiment of theinvention described herein, such modifications being within the spiritand scope of the invention claimed, it is indicated that all mattercontained herein is intended as illustrative and not as limiting inscope.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A hospital gown which is formed of sheet material of two-partconstruction comprising a blouse section which is formed from a sheet ofmaterial in which a neck opening is formed together with a pants sectionwhich is formed from two similar rectangular sheets, each of which iscut and shaped to form a pants leg, such that two pants leg sections arejoined together in interlocking fashion and without waste of anymaterial to form a completed pants, where each said rectangular sheet isbound by a top edge, two side edges and a bottom edge, with a slitformed in the sheet that extends from the mid section of the top edge ofthe sheet to the mid section of the sheet, said slit joining a curvedslit which bounds an inverted U-shaped section of sheet that is joinedto the rectangular sheet along a crotch line generally parallel to thetop and bottom edges of the sheet, said U-shaped section forming a tabwhen folded about said crotch line, with each said pants leg sectionformed by folding a said sheet about an axis parallel to the two sideedges of the sheet, with the side ends bounded by the side edges of thesaid sheet joined together, such that the bottom edge of the sheet isformed in a continuous closed loop and the top edge of the sheet isformed in an open U-shaped configuration;

said pants section being formed by the joining together of a first and asecond such pants leg section, with the two joined sections orientedtogether along their respective crotch lines to form a common crotchline, and with the top edges of both pants leg sections lying on acommon plane, and interlocked by the tabs of both sections folded aboutthe common crotch line so that the tab of a first leg section is foldedover the common crotch line of both sections with said tab overlying thefolded tab of the second leg section which is bent inside the second legsection, and with the adjacent sides of each pants leg section, that arebounded by the top edges of each pants leg section and by the adjoiningedges of the slit in each pants leg section, fastened together inoverlapping configuration to form the upper front and upper rearsections of the pants section, with the said upper front and upper rearsections being reinforced by the overlapped sections of sheet.

2. The combination as recited in claim 1 in which adhesive tapes areused as fastening means to join the overlapping sections of the pantssection so that the size of the assembled pants section is adjustable ingirth, and adhesive tapes are used as fastening means to join the sideends of each pants leg section together in overlapping fashion so thatthe girth of each pants leg section is adjustable.

1. A hospital gown which is formed of sheet material of two-partconstruction comprising a blouse section which is formed from a sheet ofmaterial in which a neck opening is formed together with a pants sectionwhich is formed from two similar rectangular sheets, each of which iscut and shaped to form a pants leg, such that two pants leg sections arejoined together in interlocking fashion and without waste of anymaterial to form a completed pants, where each said rectangular sheet isbound by a top edge, two side edges and a bottom edge, with a slitformed in the sheet that extends from the mid section of the top edge ofthe sheet to the mid section of the sheet, said slit joining a curvedslit which bounds an inverted U-shaped section of sheet that is joinedto the rectangular sheet along a crotch line generally parallel to thetop and bottom edges of the sheet, said Ushaped section forming a tabwhen folded about said crotch line, with each said pants leg sectionformed by folding a said sheet about an axis parallel to the two sideedges of the sheet, with the side ends bounded by the side edges of thesaid sheet joined together, such that the bottom edge of the sheet isformed in a continuous closed loop and the top edge of the sheet isformed in an open U-shaped configuration; said pants section beingformed by the joining together of a first and a second such pants legsection, with the two joined sections oriented together along theirrespective crotch lines to form a common crotch line, and with the topedges of both pants leg sections lying on a common plane, andinterlocked by the tabs of both sections folded about the common crotchline so that the tab of a first leg section is folded over the commoncrotch line of both sections with said tab overlying the folded tab ofthe second leg section which is bent inside the second leg section, andwith the adjacent sides of each pants leg section, that are bounded bythe top edges of each pants leg section and by the adjoining edges ofthe slit in each pants leg section, fastened together in overlappingconfiguration to form the upper front and upper rear sections of thepants section, with the said upper front and upper rear sections beingreinforced by the overlapped sections of sheet.
 2. The combination asrecited in claim 1 in which adhesive tapes are used as fastening meansto join the overlapping sections of the pants section so that the sizeof the assembled pants section is adjustable in girth, and adhesivetapes are used as fastening means to join the side ends of each pantsleg section together in overlapping fashion so that the girth of eachpants leg section is adjustable.